Two men have been charged with alleged online child grooming offences in Sydney, including a 69-year-old accused of travelling from Port Kembla to meet a girl for sexual intercourse.
New South Wales Police said the man was arrested in Campbelltown at about 9.50am on Monday, 7 September, during an investigation by detectives from Strike Force Trawler.
He was charged with inciting sexual intercourse with a child under 10, using a carriage service to groom a person under 16 and procure them for sexual activity, failing to comply with reporting obligations and contravening a prohibition order.
The man appeared at Campbelltown Local Court on Tuesday, where bail was refused. He is due to return to the court on Wednesday, 11 November.
A second man, aged 66, was arrested at Beaumont Hills in Sydney’s north-west at about 8.30am on Tuesday. Police allege he groomed a girl under 16 and made child abuse material available online.
He was charged with using a carriage service to groom a person under 16 and using a carriage service to make child abuse material available. Bail was refused and he was due to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday.
Strike Force Trawler is an ongoing investigation by the State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad Child Exploitation Internet Unit into the alleged sexual abuse and exploitation of children through the internet and other telecommunications devices.
Police said inquiries were continuing. Both men remain allegations-only defendants and have not been convicted of any offence.
